The Dance of the Cursed
by FaylinnNorse
Summary: 12 princesses with a strange disease, a terrible hoax to find them husbands, a boy who wanted to be a hero, how will it all end? Read to find out. And review, of course. 12 Dancing Princesses fic.
1. Chapter 1

I have three fics going now, ahh! But I had this idea, and I just had to write it down, so...enjoy!

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The marketplace was crowded with people; it always was. They milled about with their varying purposes, selling and buying and talking and shouting. It was hectic and full of chaos; no one noticed the small, purple-cloaked figure running and diving through the swarms of citizens.

She rushed to the side of the street, and snatched the notice from the window of the general store. She tucked it under her cloak and rushed away, once more dissapearing into the crowd. If anyone had noticed her—and no one had—they would certainly have lost track of her.

Bare feet ran quickly, beating upon the hard ground. In a few moments, she finally got to the castle. Up the stairs, and to the window, she jumped into the room.

"Xavia!" Princess Sophia exclaimed. "What in the world are you doing?"

The girl grinned and took out the paper she'd grabbed. "I thought you all would want to see this."

The other young ladies sitting all across the room got up and migrated over. "What does it say? What does it say?" they all asked.

"Give it to me, I'll read it out loud," Sophia said, being the eldest.

Xavia handed it over.

"To the young men of the country," Sophia read. "you have perhaps heard the plight of the twelve princesses: they are cursed to dance, night after night, and wear out their shoes, and no one has yet found the reason. If any one of you should find it, I will grant any of the princesses' hands' in marriage you should wish. Your King Edward."

A great cry of distress went up as soon as she was done.

"But—but we don't dance in the night!" Princess Lily exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure he'll have some arrangement that makes it seem that we do. Its all just a great lie to get us married," Sara said.

"What if I don't even want to get married?" Danielle asked.

"Hope they don't pick you!" Replied Sara.

Danielle only frowned.

"It's not fair! Just because we're—sick doesn't mean he has to lie to the whole kingdom, and devise a hoax to get us married! Does he really that just because of this no one will want to marry us?!" Heidi said, near to tears. She looked unwell—near to having a fainting spell again. The other girls crowded around her. They all knew that the sickness was the worst in her.

"Heidi, sit down," Sophia commanded. "You don't want to get sick. Just sit and take deep breaths."

Heidi nodded and sat in the big, fluffy chair. She tried to breathe deeply, but it came out more in gulps between sobs. In a few moments she had calmed enough for the sobs to stop.

"Now everyone," Sophia said, "find a seat."

The girls all sat down. They obeyed Sophia like she was their mother, since they had none. Sophia was a natural leader.

"As horrible of an idea as this is, we're just going to have to go through it—for Father."

"But its such a strange idea," Nora remarked. "How in the world do you think he thought of it?"

"I don't know. He told us he had an idea, but he never told us exactly what it was. I'm sure he'll address the subject tonight at dinner. Until then, we'll just have to wait."

Everyone murmured their aggreement and started to mill about the room, rather like she had said "class dismissed," or something of the like.

Xavia stayed near Sophia and Heidi. "Are we going to do anything about it?" she asked.

Sophia sighed. "I don't know. We'll have to see what Father says about, then decide. But I have a feeling that there won't really be much we can do about it. No more running about the city for you, though! Think if it happened there! And no one would know where you were!"

Xavia nodded and sat by Heidi. "Are you feeling alright now?" she asked the pretty, blonde girl.

Heidi nodded. "I—I think so. It was just, so much of a shock, that he would do this to us. And I already wasn't feeling very well. But I'm alright," she said, smiling slightly at her youngest sister.

"I hope no one picks me!" Xavia said. "I'm too young to be married!"

Sophia and Heidi both laughed.

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"Her Royal Highness, the Princess Sophia!" the caller exclaimed, as he announced the princesses in order of their age for dinner.

"Does he really have to name off all of us every night! I mean, its not like anyone is here besides Father," Xavia exclaimed to the sister closest to her, Della.

"Her Royal Highness, the Princess Sara!"

Della shrugged. "It is rather silly, I suppose."

"Her Royal Highness, the Princess Danielle!"

"Rather silly? Its ridiculously silly!"

"Her Royal Highness, the Princess Minerva!"

Xavia rolled her eyes.

The caller continued to call out their names, one by one. After Minerva, it was Belinda, then Heidi, followed by Quinn and Aerin, Lily, then Nora, Della, and finally Xavia. They all sat at the long table, six to a side, with King Edward at the head.

The king smiled at them. "Well, girls, I have something to announce."

His daughters all exchanged glances, but the king didn't seem to notice.

"I have devised a plan to find husbands for you all—and a good one, if I might say so my self," he waited for the girls' reactions, but seeing none, he moved on. "See, men will find marrying you much more alluring if they have to break some sort of curse or enchantment first. I have told the citizens that you are under a curse to dance all night, every night and no one knows why or where you go. Anyone who finds out may marry one of you."

The girls were silent.

"But, Father, we don't do that. If some man comes and tries to find out where we go in the night, we'll just be asleep in our beds," Quinn finnaly said.

King Edward smiled. "I know, I know, you are not truly cursed, but no one needs to know that. You will be taken to a remote area and left there. In order for the man to get there, though, there will be a difficult obstacle course to go through. It is being assembled as we speak. See, it will also pick out the best man for you to marry! Isn't it brilliant!"

"Oh, yes, brilliant, Father," Sara said with sarcasm.

The king frowned. "None of you seem as—happy as I had hoped."

"Its just that it's such a strange—wild plan, Father," Sophie said, trying to smooth things down. "How did you come up with it?"

He grinned. "I just thought of it, all by myself. No rhyme or reason. I was very proud that I made it up."

"I see."

"Father, don't you think that any man would love us as we are?" Heidi burst out.

Edward frowned at her. "What, with your epilepsia? He'd take off running whenever you had your first fainting spell, particularly if it included one of those seizures. No, you'd never find a husband. But this way it'll happen fast, you can be married before he realizes your sick."

Heidi pressed her lips together and stared down at her lap, looking chagrined. The other princesses had only had actual—violent and shaking—seizures once or twice before, but for her they were common.

"And then when he does, Father, what then?" Xavia asked, standing up for her sister. "What if he runs out on us when he sees us like that?"

"Well, I doubt any of them will be picking you, now will they?" King Edward remarked, changing the subject entirely.

It was over, then. There was nothing to be done. There was no way out, they would have to go through with the hoax. The king demanded it.


	2. Chapter 2

"There are an awful lot of them!" Sara exclaimed, half hanging out the window, her eyes on the men gathered below. 

"Are they handsome?" Danielle.

"Some of them are. But some are just old and ugly," Sara replied, to which must giggling followed.

"Do they look nice?" Heidi asked quietly.

Sara shrugged. "What does nice look like? They don't really have a blood-thirsty, murdering look, but beyond that, I can't really tell."

"How does Father decide who goes first?" Xavia questioned.

"I believe it was done randomly," Danielle replied. "Picking numbers and such."

"Has anyone seen the obstacle course?" Aerin asked.

All the girls shook their heads, that is except for Xavia, who grinned widely.

"I ran down to look at it. It looked like great fun! At least, the part of it I saw. Which wasn't much. It looked very long."

"You went to look at it?" Sophia asked.

"Relax!" Xavia said. "It's not like I tried it myself. Then I would have fainted..."

The princesses grew silent.

"Well, I suppose we should begin preparations for dinner. Father will want us to look our best, I'm sure," Sophia said, quick to switch to a more comfortable topic.

There were murmurs of agreement and the girls got up to find clothes and jewelry and do their hair. Heidi, though, remained where she was seated.

"Heidi?" Xavia stepped over to her. No reply. Xavia noticed that the girl's eyelid was fluttering and blinking oddly. "Sophia..." Xavia called.

Sophia was there in a flash. "Heidi." She put her hand on the girl's arm. Still nothing. Sophia sighed, trying to remain calm. It was always hard to do when Heidi was like this, and couldn't snap out of it. At least it was only a minor one, though, not one where she was likely to hurt herself.

After a moment Heidi's eyes turned to look at Sophia and Xavia. She frowned. "How did I get here?" she asked.

Xavia through her arms around Heidi. "You're alright!"

Heidi glanced at Sophia. "It happened again?"

Sophia nodded grimly.

Heidi's eyes looked watery. She forced back the tears and let out her feelings in a sigh, instead. "It's so strange," she said, standing up. "The last thing I remember is walking up the stairs after all the men started to gather. What are we doing now?"

Sophia put a comforting arm around her sister. "We're getting ready for dinner. You didn't miss much anyways, it was really rather boring."

Heidi smiled fondly at Sophia; she always had a way of making things seem lighter than they were.

"Will you do my hair?" Xavia asked Heidi.

"Of course, Darling."

All the princesses were seated at the dinner table and staring—gaping—at the black-haired man seated next to their father. His name was Afzal, and it had been the general consensus that he was a rajah from the east, which made him quite an object of curiosity, even if he was old enough to be their father.

"Where are you from, Sire?" Sara asked bravely.

Afzal smiled; it was a very friendly smile. He was liked immediately. "From a very far away land, I doubt you've heard of it. It lies far to the east, in the land of the sun."

Xavia stared at the him. Every question asked of him had been answered very poetically and...storybook-ish. It made her want to see the strange places he talked of. He was so different. He smelled like exotic spices, and he wore bright red and orange silks.

"How do you get there?" Xavia asked.

Afzal laughed. "It is a long journey. I have traveled by camel, ship, carriage, and foot. Perhaps one day I will take you there."

"I would like that," Xavia replied. She felt a hard jab in her stomach. It was Della, reminding her that this man was a possible husband for them. Xavia blushed, she hadn't meant it like that.

The meal was a fairly quiet one; the princesses all felt rather uncomfortable, and Afzal could sense it. King Edward was the only one who spoke once, and he eventually stopped as no one replied.

When it was over with, they all clambered up the stairs, to the princesses chambers. An area had been partitioned off for Afzal, so the girls could have their privacy.

"Well, here you are," King Edward spoke. "Hope you can find things out. Goodnight, girls."

"Goodnight, Father," was the mutual answer.

"Sophia," the king said in a low voice, beckoning her to come out in the hall with him.

"What is it, Father?" she asked.

He handed her a small packet of powder. "Put this in a drink and give it to the man. It will knock him out for a time so the rest of you can get away. Go out to the back palace gates once he's out. A carriage will be waiting."

Sophia nodded. "Yes, Father."

"Good. See you in the morning."

Sophia stepped back into the room where the girls were all preparing for bed. Afzal was standing rather awkwardly by his cot. Sophia smiled reassuringly at him as she walked past.

"What did Father want, Sophia?" Heidi questioned.

"He just gave me this," she replied, showing the powder. "Make him go asleep, so we can get out."

"I hope it doesn't hurt him," Heidi said sweetly.

"It won't, Dear, it will only last a while."

After most of the girls were in bed, Sophia quickly mixed the powder in with some water and brought it over to Afzal.

"A drink before you sleep, Sire?"

He glanced at it and nodded. "How nice."

Sophia smiled and dipped her head. "Goodnight, Sire."

She joined the rest of the princesses in going to bed. They slept in two rows, six on each side, their headboards against the walls. There was much giggling and tossing around, in anticipation of the night's goings on.

When they were certain that Afzal was soundly asleep, they all crawled out of bed. "Where do we go?" they questioned.

"To the gates," Sophia said loudly. "Father told me."

They followed her on tip-toe out into the hall and to the shining palace gates. The heavens shown with bright stars that sparkled and shone.

"I've never been out at night before!" Nora said.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Xavia excitedly remarked.

"It is very pretty," Heidi said, her gaze roaming over the barely illuminated fields and the distant forest, a silhouette in the darkness.

"Are you ready, miladies?" their driver, Benjamin, called from the carriage in front of them.

"Yes," Sophia said.

They all climbed in. It was a little crowded for twelve; they were tightly jammed together, but it was a very merry ride. They drove for some time, as fast as the horses could go and finally came to a secluded hillside.

It was surrounded by trees for the most part, and a also deep ravine. The obstacle course was down in the ravine, they could make out a maze of trees and pushes that stretched nearly as far as they could see. Beyond that, there was a high stone wall. Getting over it from the other side did not look promising.

"I will be back just before dawn," Benjamin said, though he looked uneasy about leaving them there alone.

"Thank you, Ben," Sophia said. "You may go."

He nodded and turned away.

For several moments after he had gone, they stood, just staring at the obstacle course, searching in the darkness for all that they could see, and wondering if Afzal would find them. They could see no one, though, so after a time they sat down in a circle on the grass.

"Well, what do we do now?" Lily asked.

No one had an answer.

"Its a bit chilly out here," Belinda spoke.

Everyone nodded.

Sara sighed. "I'm bored!" She looked down into the ravine and saw a shadowy figure slowly walking up towards them. "Its Afzal!" she shouted.

"Where?" the others asked, running over to it.

Sure enough, it was him; he'd made it through the obstacle course, and quickly, too.

"You made it!" Xavia exclaimed.

"Yes, that I did. But, girls, this does not look like the work of some strange spell. It is a trick, is it not? Because of your illness?"

Heidi looked startled. "You know?"

Afzal smiled warmly. "I am a rajah, I know many things, though not why or how. I also know that none of you would desire to have me as a husband, and I would not ask it of you. Tomorrow I will tell your Father that I was unable to find out why you danced each night, then I will go. But for now, I think it would please you to hear stories of my homeland, yes?"

The girls all smiled and nodded.

Long into the night he told them stories, stories of gold, of treasure, love and hate, pirates that sailed across the seven seas, stallions that ran free in the sandy deserts, the magical sands of time, that lay deep in a crack within the earth, never to be seen again.

"Well, I ought to be heading back now, so I'm not found out here," Afzal eventually said.

The twelve princesses all nodded their agreement, and he had soon disappeared back into the ravine.

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"Well, did you find the answer?" King Edward questioned Afzal.

"I'm afraid not," he said, with a wink at the girls, who all smiled to themselves.

The king sighed. "I thought as much," he said with a dramatic air, which received a great deal of eye-rolling from the line of princesses.

Afzal simply nodded and turned to the girls. "I bid you all a fond goodbye. I doubt that most of us will meet again, but I wish you the best of luck."

Xavia ran to him then. "You must come back! Or take me with you! To your land, it's so strange and magical, I want to see it!"

Afzal smiled down at her. "You and I, I think we just may meet again. And we will go, and you will see my land. But that it not for this day."

Xavia nodded solemnly and ran back to her place at the end of the line. Afzal smiled and turned to his big, black horse. He mounted it, and rode away, leaving the princesses there, wondering who would be next.

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I realized that from this chapter you may have gotten the idea that the obstacle course is really rather simple. Don't get the wrong idea: it's not. Afzal is a rajah and has some sort of special powers, though don't ask me to go into detail about it, I really haven't thought about it much. I'm considering maybe having him in another story later...but not for a while, I need to finish my other stories first.


	3. Chapter 3

"You'll never be anything, Boy! Just a failure! Hear that? Failure! I'm ashamed to have you as my son!" the drunk man yelled, as he smashed the empty bottle of whiskey against the ground at the feet of his son. 

Drew glanced at the shattered bottle, then looked up at his father. All the years of going through this, he would have thought that he wouldn't care by now. But he did. And it hurt. He was just the good for nothing son of Angus Johnson. He had big hands and skinny arms and was very clumsy. It seemed that his awkward stage was lasting much longer than it should have. He was a man, seventeen years old! He should have been better.

"Now git out, Boy! Go do some work, it'll be good for ya!" Angus yelled.

Drew quietly obeyed. He stepped over to the door, then went outside. He saw on the porch with a sigh. There wasn't any work to be done. He'd already taken care of all the chores for the day, but his father was too drunk to notice. It seemed like whatever he did, it wasn't good enough. If he did all his chores, there was sure to be something else he should have done. He was tired of it.

He wanted to go away, go do something grand. Then he'd come back home and everyone would be proud of him. They'd all say that he wasn't a failure after all. He'd be a hero. Drew sighed. Like that would ever happen.

"Drew!" he heard a shout from the street.

He turned to look. It was Mr. Waters, who owned the general store.

"Drew, did ya here the latest news?"

"What news?" Drew called.

"I just got the notice down at the store. The twelve princesses are under some sort of curse, they have to dance all night every night and nobody knows why or how. Any fellow who figures it out can marry one of the girls!" Mr. Waters said.

Drew was growing interested. "And anyone can try?"

"Yep, anyone! Well, I'd best get home to the missus. Thought you might like to know."

Drew nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Waters!"

The man strolled on by.

An idea was forming in Jonathan's mind. He'd run away, go solve the princesses' curse, and prove his true worth! It was perfect. He turned back to go inside. His father was passed out on the floor. Drew stepped over him, and ran up the stairs to his room. He grabbed a few pairs of clothes and all of his money, tied them in a blanket, and left. He didn't even look back; he was glad to be going.

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"I'm bored and I really don't think the pompous brat is going to make it!" Sara said loudly.

"Sara," Sophia tried to calm her.

"Well, he is! Don't you agree with me?"

"Well...yes," Sophia said after a moment.

"Let's play tag!" Xavia suggested.

"In the dark?" Sophia questioned.

"Yes! It's more fun that way anyways!"

"But, what if—"

"Oh, stop with your what-ifs! What if we all die, so what? I'm in," Sara said.

"We'll play," said Minerva and Belinda.

"I'll join!" Heidi said brightly.

Sophia glanced at her. She was the most worried about Heidi. "I guess I'll play," she said. _If only to keep an eye on Heidi._

Most of the younger girls joined as well, and soon they were in a wild game of tag.

"Tag! You're it!" Xavia yelled as she grabbed Sara.

"Oh, no you don't!" Sara chased her, but Xavia was fast. She ended up getting Sophia.

Sophia got Minerva, Minerva got Quinn, Quinn got Heidi.

Heidi got Xavia, who then chased her back. Heidi ran quickly, but it was too much. She faltered, then fainted onto the ground. When she hit the ground, she started shaking, in uncontrollable seizures.

"Sophia!" Xavia screamed. She stared down at her sister. Her whole body was shaking.

Sophia ran over. "This is what I was afraid of," Sophia whispered, kneeling down next to the girl. She put her hand on Heidi's back. "Heidi. Heidi, wake up." Heidi kept shaking, violently, it looked like she might hurt herself.

Sophia looked around. There was no one there, no one to call for. They were all alone. "Help!" she finally screamed. No response. "Girls, go find someone," she said.

The other princesses immediately started running hard, and screaming out for help.

Sophia bit her lip, she didn't know what to do. They'd always been in the palace, with doctors close at hand when this had happened before. She was lost.

"Sophia!" a shout came from behind her. It was Xavia; she had a young man with her. "He can help!"

He came over to the shaking princess.

"What do we do?" Sophia screamed at him.

"Nothing, right now. We wait until the seizure is over. We can't stop it, if we tried we'd only harm her."

"But—but what if it doesn't stop?"

"It will."

For a few nerve-wracking minutes they watched Heidi shake terribly. Then she stopped moving, and just lay upon the ground. Sophia breathed deeply, before another concern hit her.

"Well, is she ok now? She's not moving at all, not even breathing!"

The man ignored her. He turned Heidi onto her side, with her mouth downward. The girl started coughing up blood. Then she fainted again, but there were no more seizures.

"Alright, she should be alright. We should take her to your home, though, and have a doctor come."

"Of course," Sophia said, standing up. "We'll go immediately. Xavia, go find our sisters. Tell them to come back home."

The man gently picked up Heidi and carried her in his arms. A short time before they reached the palace, Sophia abruptly stopped.

"I can take her from here," she said. They weren't really dressed like princesses, so she still wanted to protect their identity. He couldn't know that the truth about the curse of the princesses.

"Are you sure?" the man asked.

"Yes," Sophia said firmly.

"Alright," the man said, rather awkwardly handing Heidi over.

Sophia almost thought she would fall over under the weight of the girl who was only a little smaller than herself. Somehow she managed, though, and walked off into the night. When she got within range, she yelled for help. Servants came and carried Heidi into their bed chambers. Everything would be alright.

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So enter hero! (or at least one of them) Any ideas on who you would like to see him fall in love with? I think I've decided but I want your opinions... review please!


	4. Chapter 4

Drew wandered through the library of the castle. He knew he shouldn't be there, but frankly he just didn't care. It was raining, he had nothing to do, and he didn't have a tent he could set up like most of the other men that were waiting their turns had done. So instead he had snuck into the castle. 

He heard the door swing open. He looked in surprise at the girl he'd carried a few nights ago. What was she doing here? She looked back at him in confusion. No doubt she didn't remember him, or any of the time before she fainted. That was always how it had been with his mother.

"Oh! You must be one of the servants!" Heidi exclaimed.

Drew nodded slightly. Why not? It would give him something to do for a while.

"I didn't realize you were in here. I usually don't see anyone else in the library. I guess I should leave," she explained.

"Well, you don't have to if you don't want to," Drew said, growing rather afraid he was messing something up. "See, I'm—I'm new and...I thought the library deserved cleaning."

She smiled sweetly. "Do you read often?"

Drew opened his mouth, than shut it. He hadn't expected to be interrogated over his little story. "Ah...not exactly. I read when I can, but there's not really anywhere I can get books."

"Well, you have my permission to borrow any you want from here. There's a lot," Heidi said.

Drew nodded, looking around at the high shelves. As if that was what he wanted. He could hardly read at all. He turned back to her. "Sorry if this sounds stupid to you, but...who are you?" he asked.

She looked surprised. "Oh! I didn't realize that you didn't know. I'm Heidi."

Drew stared. "As in...Princess Heidi?"

She nodded, smiling.

"Oh," Drew said, growing red, and looking at his feet. Great. He'd just lied to the princess.

"But please, don't treat me any different! Everyone always acts like I'm better, but I'm—I'm not! I'm just a person, like everyone else and...and it can be quite lonely to be on everyone's pedestal."

"Alright," Drew said. "So, we're friends?" he asked, mentally kicking himself. What a pathetic thing to say!

However, Heidi did not seem to find it so stupid. "Yeah. Friends. I like it. What's your name?"

"Drew."

"Well, Drew, what kind of books do you like to read?"

"Oh, um...anything is good," he said.

"Well, here let me show you..."

He allowed himself to be pulled along the bookshelves by the princess that seemed rather too eager to have a friend.

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"Who is he this time?" Danielle asked.

Sara was once again at the window. "Well, I don't know. He doesn't look very important. Probably some daydreaming peasant who thinks he's man enough to win the hand of a princess so he can be rich forever."

"Do you always think the worst of people?" Danielle said. "Now give us a real description, you at least did that for all of the pompous brats, as you called them."

"Well, he's fairly tall, strong-looking, maybe a blacksmith...brown hair, can't see his eyes from here," she shrugged. "Nothing too remarkable."

"You're sure he's the one their bringing in?" Quinn asked.

"Yes, they're ushering him to the door," Sara replied.

The girls sighed. They were getting rather tired of all these suitors who never made it.

"Well, shall we ready ourselves for dinner?" Sophia asked, trying to make things a bit more lively.

Sighing and grumbling, the girls got up to get ready.

"So what is your name?" King Edward asked the young man.

"Travis Johnson, Sir," he answered promptly.

"And what do you do?"

"I'm a blacksmith, Sir."

The girls exchanged glances and smiles.

"Ah, where is your practice?"

"A town slightly east of here."

The king nodded. He didn't have much else to ask. He certainly didn't think that the blacksmith could do the obstacle course. He definitely did not deserve a princess for a wife.

"And what makes you think you're good enough?" Sara asked. "Ow!" she exclaimed, as she received a hard kick under the table.

"Good enough for what? The hand of a princess? Well, I suppose that would depend on the sharpness of her tongue."

Sara did not seem phased, though the other girls blushed for her. "Oh?"

"Well, I might be considered to be worthy of far more, if she had a very sharp, untamed tongue. Or perhaps you were referring to my being good enough to find the curse?"

"Perhaps I was."

"Well, in that case, time will tell, I suppose."

"I suppose so." Sara agreed.

Everyone looked down, rather embarrassed, except for Sara and Travis. They continued to stare at each other, almost testily, determining their opinions of each other.

"Do you think you'll find it?" Sara blurted out.

"The curse?" Travis asked. He shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends, I suppose."

"On what?"

"Right place, right time. Whether the curse wants to be discovered."

Sara frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It just sounded good," he said, winking.

Sara smiled, rather unassuredly. She was quiet for a moment. "What made you want to come?" she asked.

"The adventure, I guess. See what the whimsical idea of being a hero is really like."

"And what have you thought of it so far?"

"Well, I've learned that some princesses aren't as proper as others."

"And I've learned that some blacksmiths are rather insulting!"

"Well, learn something new everyday." Travis remarked.

Sara frowned. "Why don't you call me your highness?"

"Would it make you respect me any more?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"What kind of a question is what makes you think you're good enough?"

"Well, its getting late, we should probably all go up," King Edward interrupted, before Sara had a chance to reply.

"Yes, Father," the girls said in unison.

They all stood up and left the table, but King Edward pulled Sara back.

"What in the world were you thinking, bantering on with him like that? Show some propriety, at least! Its not like he's going to finish the obstacle course, can't you just put up with him for one night?"

"Oh, and why would that be? Blacksmiths aren't good enough? Stop insulting your own subjects, Father!" Sara shouted and walked away.

Travis was at the end of the hall, waiting for her.

"Defending me, are you?" he asked.

Sara turned white. "You heard that?"

"Just what you said, not the king."

Sara sighed in relief.

"Well, why were you defending me?" Travis asked.

"Father can be rather rude at times. I just don't think its right how he doesn't think anyone is good enough to find the curse."

"Ah. Good answer. Though I would have thought it would be simply because you like arguing."

"Do not!"

"See, you're even arguing now."

Sara frowned. "Well, I for one will be glad when you do go home, with no knowledge of the curse!" With that she speed-walked ahead of him, racing up the princesses' chambers.


	5. Chapter 5

Long time no see, peoples! Sorry for the wait, I'm usually faster than this, but there was Thanksgiving, and I had some document troubles, and I was pretty much just being lazy. Also, I find that without writing often my skills seem to have depreciated, so if its not good, don't kill me! Just wait, I'll keep writing and it'll get better! Now read and review!

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"What would you think if I picked you?"

Sara turned around sharply. Travis was behind her in the doorway. "I might stab you on our wedding night."

He nodded solemnly, though his eyes were smiling. "I thought as much."

Sara frowned and went to join her sisters beyond the partition that separated them from Travis. The nerve of the man to ask her such a thing! He was so aggravating! She smiled. She kind of liked it. She strode over to where her sisters were all readying themselves for bed, brushing their hair and such.

"You like him," Danielle whispered.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

Sara just frowned and went to sit on her own bed and wait.

Sophia quickly mixed some powder into a glass of water and walked behind the partition. "A drink before you sleep?" she asked softly.

Travis looked from her to the drink, then grabbed it. He took a large drink. "You didn't poison it, did you?" he asked after he swallowed.

Sophia laughed lightly. "Of course not!"

He nodded, though she could see that he frowned slightly.

She stepped back to her sisters and sat on her own bed, smiling.

Within a matter of minutes, they could hear Travis's loud snoring. He was sleeping heavily. The princesses giggled and tip-toed out the door. They walked the same way, to the back gate, where the carriage was waiting for them.

They drove a long way through the starry night, then got out and waited.

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Travis woke with a groan. He had a splitting headache, and he felt rather nauseous. He crawled over to look behind the partition; the princesses were gone. It must have been the drink! He was an idiot to take it. Even so, he had to try. He picked himself off the floor and fumbled around, searching for the way out.

He found a door that he hoped would lead him in the right direction. He looked up at the position of the stars; he still had at least half the night. He started to wander around, searching. He tripped over a root that was sticking up. Picking himself up again, he took two steps only to trip again. He frowned and raised himself to a standing position. His eyes started to adjust to the darkness, and he saw that there were boards sticking up, as if someone was trying to trip him! He sighed, shook his head and walked on, carefully his feet up over the boards.

After a while the boards came to an end. Now Travis could see a distinct path that he thought he ought to follow. That was good, it had to be a way to find the princesses. He followed walked, and walked, and then came to a fork in the path. _Left,_ he randomly chose. He walked more, for what seemed like miles. The path twisted and turned and came to another fork. Or was it the same one? _Right,_ he chose this time. The path swirled and whirled around, until it came to a fork. This time he was sure it was the same one, all the trees and bushes were situated exactly the same. _Fine, the middle then!_ He walked quickly through the many bends and the several turns where he again had to choose a direction. He was getting tired, and he was losing nighttime. At last it seemed he was coming into a clearing. To his dismay, it seemed to be the same place he'd started out at. "Heck with paths!" he shouted.

Travis turned away from the cleared and paths and into the thick forest. He started into them, then moaned as he realized he was walking in thistles. They tore at his clothes, ripping them away. They ripped as his skin, sharp and tearing. He set his jaw determinedly and walked on.

By the time he came out, he had several red scratches all over his face and arms. They hurt and some of them bled, but frankly he didn't care. He came into a sort of clearing, then he saw the wall. It was high into the air and seemed to extend forever in both directions.

Travis stared, then decided he would simply climb it. He walked to it and put his hands on it. Shear as glass; climbing would be impossible. He scowled. What in the world had they made this thing out of? He'd have to go around. He glanced to the right, then the left. Both sides looked equally long. _Left_, he decided. He walked, and walked, and walked. It never ended. He kept one hand on the wall, so as not to stray from it.

Travis took a step forward, only there was nothing to step on. His other foot had already followed, and he fell. He landed on his back in a deep trench. He groaned loudly. It felt like he had broken his spine. He sighed and stared up at the sky. Light was starting to creep over the trees; sunrise was coming, and he had failed.


	6. Chapter 6

Drew looked up from the embers of the dying fire to Heidi, who was sitting across from him. He had quit staring blankly at the pages of his book some time ago, but Heidi still read on. 

He really wasn't sure what he thought about Heidi. He liked her, and yet...he was almost annoyed with her. She was too nice. Fake almost. She seemed to never be angry, never say anything that wasn't perfectly sweet, never real. It made him wonder.

"Heidi, what do you think about how your father is offering you to anyone who can find the curse?" Drew asked.

Heidi looked confused. "I—well—I don't know."

"Doesn't it bother you at all?"

"I'm sure its for the best," Heidi said, lowering her eyes.

"Is that what you think, or what you've been trained to think?" Drew questioned.

She raised her gaze to his.

"Wouldn't you rather choose your own husband?"

"That's not an option," Heidi said quietly. "And I'm sure that only the best of men could find the curse."

"You didn't answer my question," Drew said. "Wouldn't you?"

Heidi pursed her lips together. "Yes," she said after a moment.

"I thought so."

"It doesn't matter, though," she said, her voice wavering.

"Yes, it does! Don't be a pawn, Heidi! Do what you want! Will you ever stop acting like a puppet, serving the whims of those around you?"

"That's not fair, Drew. You don't understand," Heidi said. "I'm royalty and with that comes certain things I have to do."

"Oh, I understand. I understand that there are specific things expected of you and you're too scared to try anything else."

Heidi frowned.

"Why don't you do what you want to do? Be angry for once in your life! Have a personality!"

"I—I can't, I—"

Drew noticed that her wrist was twitching oddly. She fell to the floor.

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Sara walked down the hall, wringing her hands as she went. Someone was sitting by one of the windows. As she got closer, she saw that it was Travis.

"Why are you still moping around here?" she demanded.

Travis looked at her, then shrugged. "Thought I might as well stay. No one tried to kick me out."

She raised a thin brow.

"Well, not yet," he said with a grin.

"Maybe someone should," Sara said.

They were silent a moment, then Travis asked, "How is your sister?"

"She'll be fine. She just had a—cold."

Travis whistled. "Must be some cold, if it knocked her out!"

"Well—yes, it was," Sara said. She looked out the window lost in her own thoughts. Then she noticed the scratches all over Travis's face and hands. "What happened to you?!" she asked.

"Oh, these. Just got them searching for the answer to your curse," he said with a slight smile.

"Oh, right," Sara said, with a slight frown. She didn't realize that the obstacle course meant to tear the men to pieces! She wondered how Afzal had gotten through so easily...

"Was it only the cold that Heidi will easily get over that made you look so concerned? Or is there anything else?" asked Travis.

Sara sighed and sat down next to him. She might as well talk to him, he was as good as anybody. "I'm upset with Father. He's making Heidi come down to dinner and do everything just like it was a normal night of searching for the curse. But she's not well! Not at all! Its horrible!"

"That seems rather risky. I would think it could make her condition worse."

"It will! I'm sure of it! And I just—I hate this whole ordeal! Its ridiculous!"

Travis frowned and cocked his head to the side. "You mean you don't want the curse taken away?"

Sara turned slightly red. "Well, I mean—I—"

"Can you not talk of the curse?"

"Exactly!" Sara exclaimed, happy for the excuse.

Travis nodded.

A bell rang from somewhere in the distance.

Sara stood up. "I should go. Its almost dinner time."

Travis nodded. "See you later?"

"I doubt it!" She turned and walked away.

Travis watched her go with the feeling that there was something a mite odd going on.

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The girls slipped into their places at the dinner table. The odd thing was that there were three men sitting with King Edward rather than just one.

"What's going on, Father? Are you sending men in teams to find the curse now?" Sara questioned sarcastically.

The king frowned at her. "No, I just thought we could get to know the men a bit more before they have to find the curse. "This is Drake," he said, gesturing to the man closest to him. The man gave a wink and a nod.

Sara rolled her eyes. He looked like an arrogant fool.

"He'll be searching tonight. Then that is Derek, and then Trist."

Derek nodded and smiled at each of them. He seemed nice enough.

Trist just stared, with cold-looking eyes.

"Why don't you tell my daughters a little about yourselves, say, what you do?" the king said.

"Well, I do all the accounts for my estate. Its 1000 acres," Drake said, looking quite proud of himself.

"How boring," Sara said.

Sophia kicked her and caught her eye. "I'm sure it must be quite interesting," Sophia said.

"I manage the affairs of my employer. Not much, I'm afraid, but its good, honest work," Derek said with a smile at Sophia.

She smiled back.

Trist stroked his black goatee. "I'm a merchant," he said, staring intently at something.

Sophia glanced to where he was looking. Heidi. He was staring at her, with a rather animal look. Heidi, still feeling rather ill, was white as sheet. Even so, she was lovely. Rail thin, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, she was gorgeous. And it was obvious that Trist thought so as well.

"And what do you trade?" Sophia asked.

"Lots of things. Jewels, silks, crops, whatever people need," he replied, his eyes barely straying from Heidi.

"And where do you get everything?" Sophia asked.

"I have sources, who will give me what I want," he said coldly.

Sophia frowned. That didn't exactly sound good.

Derek caught her eye. He smiled sympathetically. "And what do you like to do, Your Highness?"

Sophia glanced at him. No one asked things like that to her, she was a princess. "I—well—I—lots of things," she stammered.

"Care to elaborate?" he smiled.

"Perhaps another time," Drake interrupted. "We should get going shouldn't we?"

"I—suppose so," the king said, though he was barely done eating.

"I don't want to lose any time. Let's go!" Drake ordered.

"Of course. Girls, get up!" King Edward said, hastily standing up.

The girls were forced to leave their unfinished meals and race for the stairs.

In a matter of time, they were all climbing into the carriage. Heidi had been forced to be bundled up in several blankets, leaving little room. Sophia jumped onto the front with the driver, Benjamin.

Sophia sighed as they drove. She was concerned, about many things. Concerned about the way Trist had looked at Heidi; he seemed not at all honorable. Concerned that Drew was in the castle and now knew who they were; he had to suspect something. Concerned that someone should find them and want to marry one of them. Concerned about the illness.

"Are you alright, Miss Sophia?" Benjamin asked.

Sophia smiled slightly. "Not really, but I suppose the proper answer would be yes, I'm fine."

He looked at her. "Well, I'm not exactly what you called proper," Ben said, with a laugh.

"I know, but...its complicated."

"Well, if you ever do want to talk..."

"I don't, really."

"Well, I'm here for you. You're my princess, after all. I'm always on your side."

Sophia glanced at him.

He grinned. "Those were the days, weren't they?"

Sophia laughed. "You mean the Royal-Peasant races? We were ridiculous!"

"Children usually are ridiculous."

"You cheered for me when you were racing against me, Ben."

"To prove that I was your most royal subject. None of the other peasant kids did," Benjamin said.

"Yes, because they had some sense!" Sophia said. "Plus, most of them considered me the royal, stuck-up princess."

"They just didn't know you like I did."

"Or I really was stuck up," Sophia said with a smile.

They came to the spot where they had been stopping. Ben pulled the horses to a stop. "Well, here we are."

Sophia nodded and stepped down. The other princesses clambered out of the carriage as well.

Ben smiled and drove away.

The girls sat down, sighing. It would be a long cold night. They were glad when the sun started to rise above the hills.

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Thank you to Scoutcraft Piratess and Aimeram for reviewing last chapter! But what happened to the rest of you?? I miss you! (sniff, sniff) Ok, moving on...tell me what you thought of the chapter! Kind of a lot of stuff is starting to happen...at least in my head, maybe not all that much is actually happening yet...Did the part with Heidi and Drew seem kinda like _what? where did that come from?_ Tell me if it did, I probably won't do anything about it, but...anyway Heidi's feelings about the whole thing will probably come in next chapter so maybe then it won't seem weird.


	7. Chapter 7

Heidi gazed out the window as she chewed on her hair. Her sisters were in one of the parlors with Derek and Trist. She had been excused so she could rest before the picnic. Her mind was still on what Drew had said to her. They had gotten to know each other fairly well during the time they sat in the library together, and apparently he'd gotten to know her a lot more than she realized. 

He was right in what he said, of course. In their conversations she would be sweet and nice, but it wasn't her. While she spun off all the right things to say, her mind was wondering if it would ever end. All the politeness, the court etiquette, the people who served her but didn't care an ounce what happened to her.

Sometimes she wanted to tell them to be quiet, to go away, or tell them everything she really wanted to do. Sail across the ocean in one of those big ships, climb a mountain, build her own house, marry a man who loved her. But she had learned long ago that being proper is better than being yourself. Besides, she'd probably faint, maybe even die, if she climbed a mountain or built something.

She bit her lip and choked back tears. She hated this sickness. She couldn't do anything! She couldn't even go outside without someone accompanying her. It just wasn't fair. And because of it, she'd probably end up marrying some stranger who only chose her because she was pretty. She'd seen the way Trist looked at her last night, and she didn't like it. But there was nothing to be done. It was all hopeless.

"Heidi!" Xavia came running to her. "We're leaving now!" Then the girl noticed Heidi's fallen face. "What's wrong?"

Heidi forced a smile as she stood up and smoothed her skirts. "Nothing, I'm fine. Let's go."

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"Would now be a good time to tell me what it is you like to do, Your Highness?" Derek asked Sophia as they climbed out of the carriage.

Sophia laughed, a bit nervously. His smile was quick to put her at ease. "Well, I enjoy reading," she said slowly.

"Ah, reading, the wonderful art of words. I do enjoy it myself. I even have ventured to write my own books on a few occasions," Derek said.

"Did you really?" Sophia asked. "I would love to read them."

"Well, they were nothing spectacular, just thought I would try my hand at it."

"Oh, but I'm sure they must be good."

Derek laughed. "Well, if you insist. What else do you do with your spare time?"

"I embroider some."

"Of course, it seems the thing for accomplished young ladies to do. What else?"

"Well, Sir, I don't really have time for a whole lot else, with caring for my sisters," Sophia replied, looking up into Derek's bright blue eyes.

"Ah, well, you do have a lot of them," Derek said, glancing around at the princesses. "And what with your mother gone...it must be terrible responsibility, being the eldest."

Sophia nodded. "It is, but I don't mind really. I love them."

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Xavia ran over to Ben, who was staring rather dejectedly towards Sophia and Derek.

She smiled up at him. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing—just waiting to take you all back."

"Do you have to stand right there?" Xavia asked.

"No," Ben replied after a moment.

"Then don't you want to come and talk to us?" Xavia questioned, grabbing his hand.

Ben looked down at her and smiled. He always liked children. "I suppose I could do that, just for you, Miss Xavia."

She giggled and led him over to where all of the princesses except for Sophia were sitting in a circle.

Ben took off his hat. "Ladies," he nodded.

"Ben," Xavia nodded, mimicking him.

He grinned.

Xavia grabbed his hat and tossed it to Minerva, who passed it to Aerin, and so on. They played a game of keeping it away from him, until it got passed back to Xavia. She hid it behind her back.

They heard a bird cooing in the distance.

"What kind of bird is it, Ben? If you tell me right I'll give you your hat." Xavia said with a sly smile.

"Dove. Mourning dove," he answered.

She threw his hat at him.

Just then, Trist left King Edward, whom he had been talking with, and came over to the girls.

"Heidi, would you walk with me?" he asked smoothly.

Heidi paled slightly, then rose. It wasn't really a choice; she couldn't refuse, though she dreaded it. "Of course," she said rather coldly.

Everyone grew quiet. Ben glanced at Sophia, who had turned almost whiter than Heidi.

They locked eyes and she mouthed, "Please."

He nodded, and as soon as Heidi and Trist had disappeared behind some trees, he hurriedly stood up to follow them.

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"You are very beautiful, Heidi," Trist said as they walked.

"Thank you," she replied, looking at her feet.

They walked in silence for a moment.

"If I were to find the curse—" Trist started.

"Well, you haven't," Heidi interrupted. "No one has yet."

"True, but I will try my hardest to win...for love."

"Love?" Heidi questioned, puzzled.

"For you, Heidi. Ever since I laid my eyes on you..." he took a step closer to her.

Heidi stepped backwards.

He seemed not to notice, and continued towards her. "I just want you," he whispered.

"Sir, I—"

Trist grabbed her waist and tried to kiss her.

Heidi screamed.

Ben flew out from the trees and pulled Trist off of her, then punched him hard in the eye.

Trist stumbled backwards.

"Don't try that again!" Ben shouted.

Trist's mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "We'll meet again, my dear. I will have you," he said firmly. Then he ran back towards the others.

Ben turned to Heidi. "Are you alright? He won't get away with this."

"I'm fine," she said shakily.

Ben extended his arm. "I'll walk you back. We'll tell the others what happened and you won't have to see him ever again."

Heidi nodded and took his arm.

When they got back, Trist was talking with King Edward and Derek like nothing had ever happened. He didn't even have a bruise.

Ben left Heidi standing with Sophia, and went to report to the king.

"Sir, I was following Princess Heidi and Sir Trist and—"

"You were following them?" the king said with a frown. "You ought to know better than to invade on people's privacy, Ben."

Ben was taken aback. "I—but—Sir!"

The king frowned but didn't reply.

"Sir, Trist was acting dishonorably!" Ben said.

The king acted as if he didn't even hear—simply continued on in his conversation.

Ben repeated his accusation, louder this time.

No reply.

The girls all looked puzzled.

Ben repeated a third time, shouting now.

When again, none of the three men reacted, Ben came over to Heidi and Sophia.

"There's something wrong here," he said.

"He can't just get away with this!" Sophia said, now knowing all that Heidi had told her.

"One night is really an awfully short time to find the curse," Derek was saying to the king.

"Yes, it is," King Edward said, "but I can't wait forever to find the curse."

"Of course not, but perhaps just a few more days..."

"Three days!" Trist said. "That would be enough time."

"Well, I suppose I could perhaps extend it to three...that's not really that many."

"Yes, yes, it would be just right," Derek said.

"Alright then! Three it is!" King Edward said happily.

The princesses glanced at each other. It wasn't like their father, to give in that easily. He never gave in once he had his mind set on something. Something strange was definitely going on here.


	8. Chapter 8

"Derek, something strange is happening here," Sophia said. 

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"My father is acting...not like himself. I don't understand. He's not one for listening to others' ideas. And he wouldn't even listen to Ben when he was talking about Trist! Like he didn't even hear! You heard, didn't you?"

Derek smiled slightly. "Yes, I heard, but I chose to do the same as the king. I didn't want to offend him."

"But what can we do?! Trist...he can't be allowed to stay!" Sophia exclaimed.

"I'm sure everything will be alright," Derek said comfortingly.

"Well, I'm not!"

"Sophia, believe me. I plan to find the curse. I have three days, afterall. Then Trist will go away, and you'll never have to see him again. And...if you're not opposed to it...we could—"

Sophia suddenly became aware of just what he was proposing. And frankly, she didn't want to hear it right. "I should go!" she said quickly.

Derek nodded. "Of course. Go."

Sophia briskly walked away. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she just couldn't have beared hearing him pronounce his intentions right now. He was nice, and she liked him, but she just wasn't ready for that.

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Heidi walked softly down the hall, as quietly as she could. She was going outside the back way, near the obstacle. She wasn't allowed to, but she didn't care. She wanted to, and she was going to, if it was the last thing she ever did.

She reached the big doors and gripped the iron handles, pulling them open, and stepped into the sun. She smiled as it hit her face, shining brightly in her eyes, warming her face. It was hard to see, but she didn't mind. She hadn't been outside without an escort for...a long time, longer than she could remember.

Heidi glanced over the obstacle course. It mostly just looked like a bunch of trees, and some walls and such, not a trap. There was something moving in the trees. It almost looked like a person, but there shouldn't have been anyone there. She squinted, trying to see better. She could almost make out...

"Heidi!"

She spun around quickly. It was King Edward.

"Yes, Father?" she asked meekly.

"What in the world are you doing out here? You know you're not allowed to go outside, something could happen to you!" Edward yelled.

Heidi squared her jaw. "I just wanted to see the sun, Father."

"Well, then see it from your window! You know perfectly well what could happen, and I'm sure you don't want it. Now go inside! Now!"

Her shoulders slumped as she stepped inside.

"And faster! Men don't want snails for wives!" the king shouted.

Heidi started to walk a bit faster, with her head downward. She ran straight into someone. She gasped. Looking up, she saw that it was Drew.

He smiled slightly, almost sadly, and made sure she was on her feet again. Then he just nodded and walked away.

She stared after him. She hadn't seen him since the day he had yelled at her; she'd been rather scared to see him. She didn't want him to know how much truth there had been to his words.

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Derek stepped through the brambles, and next to the wall, taking it all in. He'd been through the maze earlier in the day, to get a head start. It took longer since he had to map it all out. The wall was what truly interested him, though. He could see it well, even in the dark. It looked as though it were made of glass! Perhaps Trist would need a charm for this, a map really wouldn't do.

He sighed and jotted a few things down in his notebook. When he was done, he pushed it into his pocket and backed up. He ran and made a flying leap over the wall. The other side almost made him laugh.

There were spikes, covering the ground for a long ways! You had to climb the trees to get through! Very funny. And he had the perfect charm for leveling out paths. Why, this would hardly be work for Trist at all! And he would finally be free from his debt. He could go far, far away and not have to deal with mere humans anymore.

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"So did you find the curse?" the king questioned, with a smile. They were seated around the breakfast table.

"I'm afraid not," Derek said. "I slept through the whole night."

Sophia sighed. This was going to be just like all the other ones before Derek. She almost felt like she could cry. She didn't know why it mattered so much, though. Why just yesterday she'd ran from his proposal!

"Well, you'll have to stay awake if you want to succeed!" the king said. "You only have two nights left."

"Yes, I'll try to do better," Derek said gravely, "since it is the only way to win my fair lady's heart." He smiled at Sophia, who flushed brightly.

Sara and Heidi glanced at Ben, who was standing in the corner, waiting for orders. He was frowning slightly.

"Do you have one picked out already, then?" King Edward asked.

"You know, I think that I do," Derek replied.

"And what about you, Trist," the king turned to the man on his left. "Do you have a lady picked out already?"

"Perhaps," Trist said mysteriously, though it was obvious that his eyes were on Heidi.

Heidi shifted uncomfortably and glanced around for something else to look at besides Trist.

Derek broke into the silence, "Sophia, would you...accompany me somewhere today?"

"I—of course," she replied.

"Good. The place is just...heaven. You'll love it."

"Do you need a driver?" Ben asked.

"That would be wonderful," Derek said. "Thank you."

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"So where are we going?" Sophia asked once again.

"Its a surprise!" Derek said with a laugh. "I can't tell you."

"But—I don't like surprises!" Sophia said.

"Well, you'll find out soon enough!" Derek turned to Ben, "Take a left at the next turn."

Ben nodded mutely.

When they turned, there was a beautiful crystal lake in front of them. It was bluer than sapphires and sparkled like diamonds. A ways down, there were willow trees growing out over the lily pads, forming a secluded section.

Sophia stood up in the carriage, entranced. She almost tumbled over the side as they went over a bump. Derek caught her and steadied her. "Its beautiful," she said softly.

"It is, isn't it?" he said, as they pulled to a stop.

Ben frowned. He had driven all over the area, but never seen this lake before. He would have known if it was there. There was something odd about it. The lake was...too perfect, almost.

Sophia and Derek both jumped out.

Derek took Sophia's hands and led her over to the lake, where a small rowboat was waiting. He smiled. "Come on."

They stepped into the boat, and Derek took the oars. He rowed over to where the water lilies were blooming particularly prettily, and the willow trees hung thick overhead. No one could see them back there. It would be their own paradise.

"This is so...amazing," Sophia said. "How did you ever find it? I've been around here, and never seen it before!"

"I did some exploring," Derek said with a shrug. "When I saw it, I just knew I had to bring you here."

Sophia smiled.

Derek reached into the water and pulled out one of the lilies. "A pretty flower for a pretty woman," he said.

Sophia took it and pushed the white flower into her hair. "Does it look nice?" she asked.

"Beautiful," Derek said. He leaned forward, and kissed her on the lips.

Sophia pulled back quickly.

"I'm sorry. That was too forward of me," Derek said.

"Its alright," Sophia said, a bit embarrassed. "I just—wasn't expecting it."

Derek nodded.

Sophia gazed at him. He was incredibly handsome. His hair was dark and wavy, and his eyes were the purest blue. She almost wished she hadn't stopped him from kissing her. She'd never felt like this before; it was strange. "Do you love me?" she asked suddenly.

Derek smiled. "What do you think?"

"I don't know."

"Would you mind if I kissed you again?"

"No," Sophia admitted.

Derek kissed her, but shorter and lighter this time. More like a peck on the cheek. "Yes," he said softly.

Sophia smiled, then glanced back at shore. Ben was there, sitting on the ground. He couldn't see them, but she could see him. She wondered what he would think of Derek kissing her. It didn't really matter though, he was just a friend, and a servant at that.

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Hopefully an interesting chapter. I think that there will probably only be a few more chapters and then I will start Golden Sands, which I'm quite excited about. Review to hasten updates!


	9. Chapter 9

This is an extra long chapter, so enjoy it! And remember to review!!

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"Well, I'm afraid that I could not find the answer to the curse," Derek announced at the breakfast table.

King Edward nodded. "Ah, well. You can stay here for a few days, if you want."

"Perhaps I will," Derek replied.

The majority of the rest of the meal was eaten in silence. When it was over, Sophia stood and slowly walked away. She felt...numb. She had thought that Derek could do it, and she wanted to marry him. But it had turned out just like everyone else.

Derek ran up beside her. "Sophia, wait!"

She looked at him. "What do you want?"

"I know I didn't find the curse and free you like I wanted to, but...that doesn't mean everything is lost. I'll stay, and when someone succeeds, perhaps your father will let us be married. You'll be free then, everything will be wonderful."

A lone tear dripped down Sophia's cheek. She hurriedly brushed it away. It was ridiculous, there was nothing to cry about, it was just...Derek would never understand. She would never be free from the "curse." Even if epilepsia didn't effect her very often, it still hung over her, a dark cloud that would never go away. Would he still want to marry her if he knew?

"Sophia?"

She nodded. "I suppose you could stay," she said quietly.

"Good!" Derek said. "Now I should go, but I'll see you again later."

Sophia nodded mutely and watched him go.

"My lady."

Sophia turned and saw Ben was next to her. "Ben," she nodded.

He smiled at her slightly. "You don't look very happy," he said after a moment.

"Is that all you had to say?" Sophia asked with a sigh.

"Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go for a ride. You used to ask me to take you driving everywhere, but you don't anymore. I rather miss it."

Sophia smiled. "I suppose I could."

"Good, come on, the horses are waiting," Ben said.

Ben stood up from the floor of the carriage. He nearly was slammed against the side as they rounded a sharp corner. "Perhaps letting you drive wasn't such a good idea," he said.

Sophia laughed and flicked the reigns. "You weren't going fast enough."

"So you felt the need to try to kill me?"

She giggled. "Well..."

"I see," Ben said, with a smile.

"You can have the reigns back, if you want."

"Eh, you can keep them," Ben said with a shrug. "I drive all the time. Watching you drive, though, isn't something I get to do very often."

"Ben, what do you think about Derek?" Sophia asked a little later, when their pace was slower.

He looked at her. "I think the better question would be what do _you_ think of Derek?"

Sophia sighed. "I don't know. I did think I loved him, now I kind of just wish he would go away."

"Two rather different feelings."

Sophia nodded. "That's why I like being with you, Ben," she said after a moment. "Its so much less complicated. Its just us. Friends."

Ben smiled. "Well, I'm glad I can be your uncomplicated friend."

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Sara walked down the hall. She was bored. There was nothing to do, she wasn't allowed to go anywhere, and she certainly didn't want to talk to Trist or any of the other men who were scheduled to be after him.

"Sara!"

She whirled around and saw Travis coming towards her. She frowned. "What in the world are you _still_ doing here?!"

He grinned. "I have my reasons for staying."

"Which would be?"

"Nothing you need to know about."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Travis replied.

"Well...where are you staying?" Sara asked.

"Well, I sleep in the library, but I just walk around most days."

"You sleep in the library?"

"Yes, I do, and I'm not the only one," Travis said.

"What?"

"Nevermind. What are you doing today?"

"Nothing," Sara replied.

"Same with me!" Travis said.

Sara rolled her eyes. "Really," she said dryly.

"Perhaps we could do nothing together," Travis remarked.

"Perhaps not."

Travis did not appear phased. "We could walk around together. You could get me some food."

"Or I could let you starve," Sara replied.

"You could, but would you really want to responsible when someone found me dead in the library, shriveled up like a dead plant?"

Sara blinked. "I don't think I would mind."

"Oh, come on! The last time I talked to you, you weren't half so rude. Could you just find a piece of bread or something?"

"Fine!" Sara said, exasperated. "I'll send it to the library in half an hour. Now go away!"

"Alright, alright," Travis said, starting to back away.

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Travis and Drew stepped quietly into the library, hoping that the maids that were bringing the food were gone. There was no one there, just a plate full of food on the coffee table. They grinned and stepped over to it, starting to stuff themselves quickly. They hadn't had much to eat for a while, just taking what they could get from the kitchens.

"So how are things with your princess?" Drew asked. "She certainly ordered you a feast."

Travis laughed. "Oh, she's the same as ever: sharp-tongued, and rather rude. I wouldn't change one thing about her.

"Really? Wouldn't you want her to like you a bit more?"

Travis shrugged. "In a way, yes, I would, but...it's her choice. If she doesn't like me, she doesn't like me. I'd never force her into it."

Drew nodded.

"What about you? You're a bit sweet on Heidi, aren't you?" Travis asked.

Drew sighed. "I told you, Travis, I haven't talked to her since the day I yelled at her and she fainted. There's nothing between us."

"I wouldn't be so sure..."

"Well, I am," Drew replied.

Travis shrugged. "Suit yourself."

They heard the door swing open, and Sara walked in.

"Sara, what are you doing here?" Travis asked.

Sara ignored him and turned to Drew. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been here...for a long time," Drew replied.

"Why?" she demanded.

"I don't have my own tent like the other men, so I thought I'd just stay here."

"You mean your waiting your turn to find the curse?" Sara asked.

"You could say that," Drew replied.

"You still didn't answer my question," Travis said.

Sara looked at him and shrugged. "I felt like coming. Had nothing better to do." She sat down next to them.

Travis and Drew glanced at each other.

"Well, did you have anything in mind to do, or did you just want to talk to me?" Travis asked.

Sara smiled slyly. "When you're done eating we could play luck," she said, taking a deck of cards from her pocket.

"Luck? I didn't know you liked gambling," Travis said.

"Well, I do."

"How do you expect us to play? We don't have any money," Drew said.

"It doesn't have to be money. Use whatever you have. It doesn't have to be things, either. It can be...a secret no one knows or such. It doesn't really matter, its just for fun. Who's in?"

"I'll play," Travis said after a moment.

Drew nodded. "I'll do it."

"Good!" Sara said.

Sara and Travis groaned as Drew once again pulled the pile of rings and papers and such towards him once again.

"I win again," he said with a smile.

"That's ridiculous," Travis said. "I have nothing else that's worth anything on me and no secrets to speak of. I'm out."

"Sara, care for another round?" Drew asked.

Sara sighed, glancing at her bare hands which _had_ been covered in rings. Then she fingered her diamond necklace which she still had around her neck. "Fine, just once more. Same version as last round."

Drew smiled and dealt out the cards.

Sara took her fan from her pocket and through it to the center of the table. Drew put in one of her old rings.

Sara picked her cards up. She had a bad hand, nothing.

"Draw?" Drew asked.

She considered. "Five," she said, throwing her whole hand at him, then placing her lace handkerchief on the table with the ruby boarder on the table.

He handed her the cards, took two for himself, and put Travis's old watch on the table.

Sara looked at her cards. She had a better hand now. She needed two of the right cards to have one of the best hands there was.

"Again?" Drew asked.

She nodded. "Two." She ripped some lace from her sleeve and put it in on top of the table. "Father's going to kill me if he sees me."

Drew raised his eyebrow. "You could just put your necklace in and I could give you rings to compensate for what you didn't need."

Sara shrugged. "Well, its already done."

Drew nodded and took one card, placing one of Sara's hair pins on the table.

Sara looked at her hand. It was good, but not the best. She could put in her necklace and have a chance at getting her things back, but possibly lose everything, or she could keep her necklace and play it safe. If she didn't get her things back, though, she was bound to get in trouble with her father.

"I'll tell you what," Drew said. "If you tell me one thing, I'll fold, let you win, and give you back all of your other things as well."

"Why would you do that?" Sara asked, expecting trickery.

"Cause it's something I want to know."

Sara considered. She wouldn't have to explain anything to her father if she had all of her things back. "Fine. Ask away."

"Are you and your sisters really cursed?" Drew asked.

Sara looked at him, shocked. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Because you were just sitting on top of a hill that night...you certainly didn't look cursed."

"Well...so!"

"So are you?" Drew asked again.

Sara frowned.

"Well, if you really don't want your stuff back..."

"Alright, no, we're not," Sara replied.

"What?!" Travis exclaimed.

Sara glanced at him. "We have epilepsia. Father thinks we'll never find husbands, so he set up an obstacle course that men have to get through to find the supposed curse."

"What?!" Travis said again.

"I thought as much," Drew said thoughtfully.

"Yes, well...I want my stuff back now," Sara said.

Drew pushed it at her.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Travis asked.

"Why would I?" Sara replied.

He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess you wouldn't. It seems like a rather ridiculous idea, though."

"It is! We all hate it! We're not just objects to be given to the strongest of men. Its not fair!" Sara said with passion.

Travis looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry," he said.

Sara shook her head. "Its not your fault."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

"No! Well...play luck with me everyday?"

Travis smiled. "I suppose I could do that."

"Good," Sara said with a slight smile. "I should really go." She stood up and slipped the last of her rings onto her finger. She walked out the door.

"Looks like you've made some progress with her," Drew commented when she was gone.

"I hope so...I still can't believe there's no curse!"

"I suspected it," Drew said.

"Well...I didn't."

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"I'm cold," Xavia said. They sat on the ground shivering, and hoping that Trist would not find them.

"Yes, I know," Sophia said, "but the sun should be coming up soon and then we can go back to the palace.

Xavia sighed. "But I'll still be cold until then."

Sophia smiled. "You'll be alright."

They sat in silence for a while, unto the pale streaks of light started to creep over the horizon.

"I like seeing the sunrise," Heidi said. "Its the one good thing about being out here."

"It is beautiful," Sophia replied.

"What's that?" Xavia asked pointing down the ravine.

The other girls looked. It seemed to be someone coming up.

"Is that—? It can't be!" Heidi said, starting to panic.

Sure, enough, it was Trist. He was still a ways down, and couldn't see them yet, but he was coming.

"Sophia..." Heidi said nervously.

"Let's get away from the edge," she said. "Then he won't see us as easily. Ben should be back here soon."

The princesses all rushed over, and away from Trist. In a few minutes, they heard horses' hooves pounding on the ground. They happily looked to see Ben coming with the carriage.

"Hurry, Ben! Trist is coming; he's climbing up!" Sophia called.

Ben hurried the horses over and pulled them to a stop. "Climb in!"

The girls clambered in, and Sophia sat in the front with Ben. As soon as they were in, he got the horses speeding away.

"Trist is almost there?" he asked.

Sophia nodded. "Climbing up the ravine. I don't know how he figured everything out! And if he got that far tonight...tomorrow he'll certainly find us. We can't let that happen, Ben! For Heidi's sake."

Ben nodded. "We'll think of something. Don't worry."

Sophia pursed her lips, but nodded. She scooted a bit closer to Ben, feeling calmer just being with him.


	10. Chapter 10

Ben drove the carriage, taking the exact route as when he took Sophia and Derek to the lake. He wanted to see it. He had to. He took the left turn; the lake should have been there. But it wasn't. It was just a clearing of grass. No lake. It actually didn't surprise him all that much. There was just something odd about Derek. 

After a moment, he turned the horses back towards the castle. There was nothing else to do here.

He put the horses in the stable, groomed and fed them, then went inside. He walked down the hall where Trist's and Derek's rooms were. He heard voices.

"I went a long ways, but I didn't see them!" The first was Trist's.

"Oh, don't worry, they were right over the hill," Derek replied.

"Can you give me a charm for speed tonight?" Trist asked.

Derek sighed. "I suppose I could," he said lazily.

"Do it!"

"Alright, alright," Derek replied.

"You seem to be forgetting the rules of your own kind," Trist said sharply. "Remember, you have to do everything I want you to. If you're not satisfactory to me, you'll never be free. You tricked me once, and you're paying for it now, stupid fairy."

There was some mumbling, and then the sound of turning the doorknob. Ben quickly hopped behind the door. It opened, hiding him. Derek and Trist walked out. Trist had a new, shiny necklace on. Ben could guess what it was. A charm for speed. They walked down the hallway and out of sight.

Ben took a deep breath. Derek was a fairy with a debt to Trist. That was his only real reason for being here. Going through the obstacle course was probably just to understand it for Trist. Ben had to tell Sophia. He started off down the hall.

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Sophia sat with her sisters, embroidering. She was making a flowered handkerchief. Not exactly exciting, but she was good at it, and she had the perfect model for the flowers. Derek had sent her roses this morning. They sat next to her, on the table. They were lovely...although she preferred daisies.

A knock sounded on the door.

Xavia ran to it, accepting any excuse for stopping embroidering. Ben was at the door.

"Ben, is there something you need?" Sophia asked.

"I need to talk to you, Sophia!" he said.

Sophia blushed slightly. "I—alright," she said. She stood up and began walking towards the door. Some of the girls giggled. She ignored them.

"What is it?" Sophia asked, once they were outside the room, walking down the hall.

"Derek is a fairy," Ben said.

Sophia blinked. "What?"

"He's under debt to Trist. He's helping him win, that was his whole point in being here!"

"But Derek—it can't be!" Sophia exclaimed.

"It is; I heard them discussing it! Trist was asking Derek for a charm for speed so that he can win tonight!"

"But—then why would he be so—nice to me?"

"Look, I don't know why he's acting like he's in love with you, but it was probably just so he could use you as an excuse to stay after his time to find the curse was over."

Sophia shook her head. "He wouldn't!"

"Sophia, please, he's up to no good! We need to stop them!"

Sophia met Ben's eyes levelly. "Derek is not evil, Ben. He can't be," she said adamantly.

"Sophia!"

She shook her head adamantly.

Ben sighed, clenched his fist and walked away.

Sophia watched him, then looked at the floor. She felt bad. It wasn't really that she didn't believe him, she just...didn't want to believe him.

* * *

Heidi walked down the halls, rather aimlessly. She had nowhere in particular that she was going, she just didn't feel like sitting in her room with her sisters. Trist would probably find them tonight, and she would probably have to marry him. It wasn't much to cheer one's spirits. 

"Heidi," Trist came up behind her.

She spun around. "Trist," she met his tone and eye contact evenly, then dropped her gaze. Who was she fooling? She wasn't brave enough to challenge him.

"Walk with me," Trist commanded, placing his hand on her back.

Heidi did as she was told.

"I think I'm going to find the curse," Trist said. "I think I was very close last night. And if I do...I'm planning on marrying you, Heidi," he stated bluntly.

Heidi pursed her lips. "And what makes you think that I would consent?" she asked, trying to sound like Sara.

Trist laughed. "I don't think your consent was ever agreed upon in the rules."

Heidi hung her head. "And is that all it is to you? Just a game? Win the princess and live happily ever after?"

"I don't know about happily ever after, but I suppose it's something like that, yes."

"Well, Trist, I'll have you know that I am not simply an object for winning. At the end of the game, you may have more than you bargained for." Heidi was rather proud of herself for making a threat, but Trist did not seem at all phased.

He smiled slightly. "Heidi, Heidi, you try so hard to be brave. But you're not. It won't take much to break you, my dear." His hand slid up her back and made a strong grip on her shoulder. "You will marry me," he said adamantly. He pulled her toward him and kissed her rudely.

She tried to scream, but she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough the pull away.

Something pushed into them, knocking Trist away from her. It was Drew. He pushed Trist to the ground, punching him hard in the stomach. Trist groaned, then lay upon the ground, unmoving.

"Is he...dead?" Heidi asked.

Drew shook his head. "Not even close. Just in pain. He'll be up again in a second. Let's go," he took her hand and led her away.

They went to the library.

"Are you...ok?" Drew asked when they were seated on the sofa.

"Yes," Heidi said. "And no," she sobbed. "I tried to be brave, Drew, I really did! I tried to not let other people control me, but I just can't! And now—now I'm going to be married to the most awful man and—I'm just so—so tired of it all! I don't want to do it anymore, I just want to—to—leave!"

"What _do_ you want?" Drew asked quietly.

"I—I—I want to get on a boat, and sail around the world," Heidi said. "And to build my own house and live in it. And grow flowers on the roof. And have a dog. A big, black one. And I want to be able to run without fainting."

"Then do it," Drew replied.

"What?" Heidi asked.

"Then do it," Drew said, standing and up and grabbing her hands. He pulled up next to him. "We'll do it together. I'm not a servant, Heidi. I was waiting for my chance at finding the curse, but I don't want it anymore. I know the curse isn't real, I just want you. We can sail around the world together! Then we'll come back here and build a house together, and get a dog! And I might not be able to stop you from fainting, but I can take care of you when it happens. We can run together, and if you faint, well, I'll just stay and wait with you until you're better. It'll be perfect! Will you do it with me, Heidi? Will you...marry me?"

Heidi smiled. She wasn't sure what to say. It all sounded so wild and wonderful, but could she really do it? For a moment the thought of what other people would think came into her head, but she shook it away. "Yes, Drew, I'll marry you."

Drew grinned and picked her up and twirled her around.

Heidi laughed.

The door swung open, and Travis and Sara walked in.

They paused when they saw Drew and Heidi.

"Uh—sorry to interrupt anything," Travis said.

"Nonsense," Drew said. "Come in. We're getting married," he said boldly.

"Oh?" Travis said.

"What?!" Sara exclaimed. She walked over to Heidi.

Heidi smiled. "We're...getting married," she repeated.

"Well, that's all very well and good," Travis said, "but that means you'll have to run today. If Trist is going to find you, like everyone seems to think..."

"Well...then we'll go today," Drew said, looking at Heidi.

"Then Trist will have to choose someone else," Sara remarked.

"Drew, we can't..." Heidi started.

"I know," he replied. "Come with me, all of you." He started out the door. The others hastily followed.

"What's he doing?" Travis questioned.

"I don't know," the girls replied.

They followed Drew to the throne room. They bypassed the guards and simply stepped in without announcement.

King Edward seemed rather unpleasantly surprised to see them. "Who—girls—what's going on?!" he demanded.

"Sir," Drew started, "I'm in love with your daughter and I want to marry her."

"Well, you can't!" the king said sharply.

Drew nodded. "I can find the curse," he said. "Give me one night."

"Well, if you would wait your turn!"

Drew stepped up next to him and spoke in a low voice, "Look, you and I both know there is no curse."

The king's eyes went wide.

"Why don't you just listen to me?"

"How do you know?"

"Your daughter told me. If the other men knew...I don't think they'd be too happy."

"What do you want me to do, I'm not going to just let you marry my daughter because you threatened me!"

"I'll go through the obstacle course. One night. To prove my worth."

The king frowned. "After Trist is done," he said begrudgingly.

"No, tonight," Drew insisted. "Or else I'll tell everyone that this is all a hoax."

"Fine!" King Edward said, though he was obviously not happy about it.

Drew nodded and walked back down the walkway. Travis, Sara, and Heidi followed suit.

"One night, Man, that's impossible!" Travis said. "I'll tell you everything I learned from my night, but I'm afraid its not much."

"I have to do it," Drew said simply.

"I'll help." Ben was coming towards. "I helped build it, afterall."

"Well, that could be helpful," Travis remarked.

* * *

"He what?!" Trist exclaimed angrily. 

"He said you can resume your turn tomorrow night, but first he has to let someone else go," Derek said.

"Well, persuade him otherwise!"

"I tried, but I can't. He's quite set on it."

"Well, can't you at least get him to let me go at the same time? Surely, this—this _boy_ won't get anywhere anyways. He doesn't have the charms that I have. We don't have to leave from the same place. In fact, this way...you could go with me, to assist me."

Derek nodded. "I could do that."

"Good. Go convince the king. And don't let me down," Trist said.

* * *

Sophia sat in the front of the carriage with Ben, considering this strange turn of events. Tonight there were two men going out looking for them. Trist, and some mysterious stranger. Sara and Heidi kept smiling suspiciously at each other, though they had seemed a bit worried when they heard that _both_ Trist and the other man were searching tonight. Sophia felt rather out of what was going on, but she figured that she would find out sometime tonight. 

"Here we are, Ladies," Ben said, as the girls all jumped out of the carriage, in the same spot as always. He nodded a bit stiffly at Sophia, who returned the greeting. "I'll see you in the morning," he awkwardly parted.

He drove away.

* * *

Drew lit a match to see the map better. Ben had drawn it for him, to help him get through faster. He was standing at the wall now. There was a an underground passage to get across somewhere. He walked towards the direction it should have been, keeping one hand on the wall to avoid falling in the various traps. 

In a minute, his foot struck something hollow. He bent down and lifted up a door. He jumped down, walked a ways, then located the other door. He came up on the other side of the wall. There were spikes on the ground. He climbed up one of the trees. There was a fairly direct path through them that he could see now. He walked through, keeping a strong grip on the branches so as not to fall. When the spikes were gone, he jumped down to the ground.

There was a steep hill he would have to climb next. Parts of it looked like they were straight up and down. It would be a tough climb. He started upwards.

* * *

"What if he doesn't make it?" Heidi asked nervously as the sky started to turn from black to grey. 

"He has to make it," Sara reassured her.

"What if Trist makes it?"

"Drew will make it," Sara replied.

Heidi nodded.

"And you'll marry him and live happily ever after."

"What about you?" Heidi asked.

"What about me?" Sara replied.

"Will you get married?"

Sara shrugged. "If I feel like it."

"That's not a real answer," Heidi said.

"It is now," Sara said, with a mysterious grin.

"Look, there they are!" Heidi exclaimed.

They were climbing up the ravine, both Drew and Trist.

"Is that Derek?" Sara asked, seeing that there was someone else, too, standing at the bottom.

"Derek? What's he doing here?" Sophia asked, coming over by them.

Sara shrugged and pointed down.

"And is that Drew?" Sophia asked.

Sara grinned and glanced at Heidi. "Yup. Heidi's betrothed."

"What?!"

Heidi laughed. "I'm—well, we're—if he makes it..."

"And you never told me?!" Sophia exclaimed.

Heidi shrugged. "It just happened today."

"Well, still!"

The other princesses started to gather around as well, and they turned their eyes to Drew and Trist. They were both close, both at parts where they were hanging, and both coming at about the same speed. Trist looked over at Drew. He swung and kicked him. Drew lost his grip and fell to one of the flatter areas. Trist started climbing faster.

Drew calmly grabbed a cleft and started climbing again. He went quicker this time, already knowing where all of the outcrops were. Soon Trist and him were neck and neck again. The girls held their breath and backed up. The men were almost to the top.

A hand appeared on the top. It was Drew. A moment after, Trist's hand also appeared. Drew swung himself up onto the flat ground. Heidi rushed over and hugged him. Trist was only a minute after Drew.

"I worked long and hard for this," Trist said, "and you'll not take it from me!"

He ran and pushed Drew from Heidi and towards the cliff edge. They struggled; Drew fell, but didn't let go of Trist. They both tumbled down the cliff.

"Drew!" Heidi screamed. "No..."

After a moment a hand appeared again, coming over the edge.

Drew pulled himself up.

"Drew!"

"I'm alright," he said.

"So it all worked out."

The girls turned. Travis and Ben were coming out from the trees.

"Yes, it did," Drew replied with a smile at them.

"You were right about Derek, Ben," Sophia admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

Ben shrugged. "I understand why you didn't."

Sophia nodded and walked toward him. "Can you—forgive me?"

"I don't know. Can you marry me?" he asked, pulling daisies out from behind him

Sophia smiled and blushed. "I think—that could be arranged."

They smiled at each other and kissed.

"What will happen to Derek, then?" Sara asked.

Ben turned from Sophia for a moment, "I told convinced the king about what was going on and he said that he'd send men after them both. They'll find Derek, and Trist if he's alive, and they'll be locked up."

Sara nodded, and walked over to Travis. "Travis...will you marry me?"

Travis laughed. "I thought you'd never ask."

They hugged.

Drew and Heidi looked at each other. They smiled.

"So, we'll get married," Drew said.

Heidi nodded. "And sail around the world."

"And build a house, have a dog, and run," Drew finished.

Heidi nodded. "Happily ever after."

* * *

Tis finished! I hope you enjoyed it. I'll probably start Golden Sands pretty soon, I have part of the first chapter done. I think Golden Sands will be better than this, cuz there won't be so many people to get confused with. So...read it, cuz I have some very interesting ideas for it! I might wait until alerts start working to put it up though. (Everyone else is having this problem, right? Its not just me?) 


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